A Northern socio-cultural group, Northern Ethnic Youths Group Assembly, NEYGA, has chided Amnesty International, AI, for supporting fake news to destabilize Nigeria.<\/p>\n
On Friday, an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court had remanded 29-year-old Ghali Isma\u2019il in prison for posting fake TikTok videos that President Bola Tinubu died due to food poisoning.<\/p>\n
He was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, and subsequently arraigned before the Magistrate Court.<\/p>\n
DSS informed the court that the TikToker\u2019s action was contrary to Nigerian law.<\/p>\n
Reacting, AI said Isma\u2019il\u2019s arrest was a \u201cclear demonstration of abuse of power.\u201d<\/p>\n
AI said the arrest was an attempt to gag Nigerian youths and restrict them from using social media.<\/p>\n
It said Isma\u2019il\u2019s arrest was carried out without thoroughly investigating the originality of the videos.<\/p>\n
However, the spokesman of NEYGA, Ibrahim Dan-Musa, accused AI of hiding under the cover of freedom of speech to destabilize Nigeria.<\/p>\n
In a statement he signed, Dan-Musa said: \u201cWe commend the DSS for approaching the courts to determine Isma\u2019il\u2019s guilt or innocence.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsequently, we urge our security agencies, particularly the DSS, to investigate the activities of AI in Nigeria as there is sufficient suspicion that they do not seek the good of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Nnamdi Kanu alleged that the late President Muhammadu Buhari had died and was replaced by a body double from Sudan, we condemned him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSee where Kanu\u2019s freedom of speech has landed us. This is why we stand resolute in our condemnation of Ghali Isma\u2019il\u2019s recent publications and the support he enjoys from Amnesty International.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n